A firebomb attack on a bank in Greece killed at least three people today as police fought pitched battles with striking protesters furious at brutal budget cuts designed to avoid national bankruptcy.
Hooded youths hurled petrol bombs at stores and businesses in the centre of the capital, Athens, and demonstrators tried to storm parliament during the general strike, as the rioting spread to the northern city of Thessaloniki.
Police said two women and one man died at a branch of the Marfin bank which caught fire after hooded youths broke a window and hurled petrol bombs inside. Around 20 more people had to be ushered to safety.
At least two other buildings, one used by tax officials, caught fire in other firebomb attacks on the margins of the protests.
Athens underground stations were shut and the international airport deserted as tens of thousands of union members rallied on the eve of a vote in parliament on the planned cuts and tax rises.
The general strike was the first major test of the Socialist government's resolve to push through unprecedented measures since agreeing an ?110 billion (Dh472.72bn) debt bailout from the EU and the International Monetary Fund at the weekend.
Prime minister George Papandreou's insistence that the measures are vital for the nation's survival failed to dissuade unions from paralysing public transport and preventing ferries from leaving docks.
After rallying in two separate demonstrations in central Athens, members of the main unions began converging on parliament, where the government was preparing for the measures to be voted on Thursday.
"They're taking everything from me, I don't know how I'm going to get by," said 61-year-old Anargyros Bizianis, a municipal worker in the Athens suburb of Piraeus who earns ?900 (Dh4,275) a month.
As the protesters tried to break through a police line in front of parliament, they first hurled stones and bottles of water, prompting the riot squad officers to fire back with tear gas.
Full-scale clashes soon then erupted outside the building, with riot police trying to disperse the crowds with baton-charges. During the unrest, one protester threw a petrol bomb.
Youths also went on the rampage in other parts of the capital, with several dozen youths hurling petrol bombs at stores and banks, and smashing shop windows and bus shelters with iron bars.
Athens police chiefs mobilised all their forces, including those not on active duty, by declaring a general state of alert.
The protesters in Thessaloniki targeted stores and banks in the city centre before they were dispersed by anti-riot police.
A group of about 200 communists had stormed the Athens Acropolis yesterday, unfurling banners reading "Peoples of Europe, Rise Up."
The head of the million-member strong GSEE private sector union, Giannis Panagopoulos, said: "The Greek people have been called to make sacrifices while the rich pay nothing."
A government official downplayed the unrest saying that "for years there's been strikes and protests in this country without much consequence."
But markets reacted to the violence with alarm as Greek stocks plunged 5.4 per cent.
The government, pushed to the brink of default, agreed at the weekend to slash spending and jack up taxes in return for ?110bn in loans over three years from eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.
Among the major measures, the government is to cut 13th and 14th month bonus pay for civil servants and retirees; require three years more for pension contributions; and raise the retirement age for women to 65, the same level as men.
After months of hesitation, eurozone countries and the IMF agreed to lend Greece billions of euros at below market rates after concerns that the Athens government's debt crisis could trigger a knock-on effect elsewhere.
The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, fighting accusations of holding up the bailout, said today that the Greek crisis underlined the need for an overhaul of the EU's fiscal rules.
"The future of Europe and the future of Germany within Europe is at stake," she told a debate on Berlin's decision to lend ?22.4bn to Greece.
* AFP
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
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WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to avoid crypto fraud
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
More from UAE Human Development Report:
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
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Price: From Dh215,900
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